There have been continuous investigations to provide improved absorbent article with so-called super-absorbing material (or: water-absorbing material or water-gelling material). Typically such articles and super-absorbing materials need to have a high liquid absorption rate, absorption amount and excellent retention. The super-absorbing materials are typically used in addition to fibrous materials such as cellulose fiber, polyester fiber, polyethylene fiber, and/or polypropylene fiber, which provide a structure for the super-absorbing materials or additional performance properties, other than liquid storage. For realization of thinner absorbent articles, it is desired that the absorbent fiber materials are replaced with super-absorbing materials.
As such, as a water-absorbing resin that functions like the fibrous materials in the conventional absorbent structures is desirable; e.g. water-absorbing resins that including rapidly absorbing an aqueous liquid, diffusing the aqueous liquid after having absorbed it; and (only) temporarily retaining the aqueous liquid after having absorbed it.
The present invention provides absorbent articles comprising such an improved water-absorbing agent that may replace absorbent cellulose fibrous materials, having a limited fluid retention capacity, for use in particular in acquisition/storage layers of an absorbent article.